IPL 2016, SRH vs GL Match 34 Preview: Can the Sunrisers tame the Lions?

Dwayne Smith will look to provide the Lions with a good start

The Gujarat Lions were humbled by the Delhi Daredevils in their previous match where the Daredevils beat the Lions by 8 wickets. The Lions are still in a good position in this tournament with 12 points in their bag already but they must not get too comfortable as the Sunrisers Hyderabad have got 2 extra games in hand to overcome their difference. The Lions have been wavering in their batting performance and need to rectify that as soon as they can. 

The Sunrisers have been the dark horses in the 2016 edition of the Indian Premier League as not many expected them to get this far. The Sunrisers have been riding on skipper David Warner’s magical form and have already registered 4 wins in 7 matches played so far. The Sunrisers have won 3 in 5 matches played at home and will be hoping to continue their good form against the Gujarat Lions.

If the recent results are to be believed, then the Hyderabad wicket will continue to favor the batsmen and the bowlers will have to think outside the box to survive on this flat batting wicket.

Match Date and Time: 6 May 2016, 2000 hrs IST

Match Venue:  Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad. 

Weather:

Temperature: Max 32°C, Min 27°C

Humidity: Max 45%

Wind: 6 km per hour

Pitch Report: Par-score 175. Batsmen will enjoy batting on this wicket. 

In-Depth Analysis:

The Sunrisers Hyderabad have shown courage and determination to shine in this season. The New Zealand International Kane Williamson recorded his first fifty for the Sunrisers this season and looks like kind of stability the Sunrisers required at the number 3 position. The Australian all-rounder Moises Henriques showcased his batting strength as he smashed 3 huge sixes against the Royal Challengers Bangalore and he was responsible for finishing their innings on a strong note after Warner’s initial burst.

Yuvraj Singh is likely to make his debut for the Hyderabad team today and it is only going to bolster their batting line-up. The Sunrisers also have some hitting power lower down the order in the form of Deepak Hooda and Ashish Reddy who have shown they can be lethal on their day. Wicket-keeper batsman Naman Ojha can provide some support to the middle order if they have a minor collapse like they did against the Rising Pune Supergiants.

The bowling department has been the main strength for the Sunrisers. The experienced Ashish Nehra has been economical, leading the attack with Bhuvneshwar Kumar with the new ball. Followed by the sensational Mustafizur Rahman and Barinder Sran, the Sunrisers will have an edge here over the Gujarat Lions.

The one place where the Sunrisers have lacked is in the spin department. With Bipul Sharma and Karn Sharma as their spin options, they have preferred to go with Moises Henriques as their fifth bowler and he has done a decent job filling in the overs.

Dwayne Smith and Brendon McCullum have been the soul of Gujarat Lions. Their partnership at the start of the innings has been heavily relied on by the Lions throughout this season. Suresh Raina and Aaron Finch will have to stabilize the middle order and steer Gujarat to a respectable total. 

Wicketkeeper batsmen Dinesh Karthik showed that he can handle his willow pretty well under pressure as he did against the Delhi Daredevils, scoring his second fifty of this season and his good form will have to continue against the top bowling line-up of the Sunrisers. 

The West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo was dropped in favour of Aaron Finch and the all-rounder’s absence was felt in their previous match. Bravo could be picked at the cost of James Faulkner who hasn’t quite been in his best form this season. The GL star has picked up 10 wickets in 8 matches played this season and is a serious contender for the purple cap. 

None of the bowlers stepped up in the previous match against Delhi and the skipper was left scratching his head as he tried to contain the Daredevils batting unit. Their bowling must improve if they should stand a chance to win against the in-form Hyderabad team. The last time these two teams met, Hyderabad thrashed the Lions by 10 wickets.